Videos Archives | SketchUp for Design

Getting Started with SketchUp: My Top 10 Tips

February 7, 2024February 23, 2024 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

This post's video tutorial features a list of my standard SketchUp beginner tips and tricks. SketchUp has much more functionality (see my book to learn about the rest!) but these ten tips will get you started with SketchUp for desktop, web, or iPad and clear up some typical confusions. TIP:New to SketchUp? Give the free web app at app.sketchup.com a try. Happy SketchUpping! What are good "next steps" after these first steps? I would recommend working through Chapter 2 in my book, which features a great refresher exercise. Tutorial Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD4NODwJDjQ My Top 10 SketchUp Tips This list shows my key tips. Watch the video for further detail. Tip 1: Toolbars and the Large Tool Set The first thing I do in SketchUp is set up my workspace to my liking. This includes turning toolbars on and off and arranging them on your screen. Tip 2: Understanding units in SketchUp It is important to understand the unit system ("inch is default") and the various ways to enter precise values and...

Joyful Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2024!

December 3, 2023December 8, 2023 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61MgpvHfowg To my readers, viewers, friends and colleagues: I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyous holiday season, Merry Christmas (to those that celebrate it), and a healthy, happy, and successful New Year 2024! And just to reiterate what I said in last year's post: A little bit more peace on earth would also go a long way! As usual, I made this video "card" completely in SketchUp. Want to see how I did this? I’ll post a tutorial soon to sketchupfordesign.com and my YouTube channel. Cheers,Alex ...

Making SketchUp Objects 3D Printable

November 15, 2023February 23, 2024 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

In this video tutorial I show my basic approach for making SketchUp objects (like the revolved vase from my last tutorial) 3D printable. In essence, the process involves checking whether a SketchUp model is considered a "solid" by the software and then fixing any issues that may prevent it from becoming a solid. Interested in more detail? This video covers only some of the basic techniques - I explain the process in much more detail in Chapter 6 of my book "Architectural Design with SketchUp." Tutorial Video https://youtu.be/UXFUrHTZ-k8 Links ThomThom's Solid Inspector - The main extension/tool for fixing solid-ness of an object. I hope you find this technique useful and create some cool items. Feel free to post those in the discussion area below. ...

Turn yourself (or a loved one) into a vase (Video)

November 6, 2023February 23, 2024 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

In this video tutorial I show how you can take a portrait of a loved one (or yourself) and - using SketchUp - turn it into a revolved object that you can then use as a vase, cup, candle holder etc. This technique is simple and makes for a great gift (e.g. by 3D printing). As a bonus, I show how you can create a face-morphing shape with two portraits. Keen readers of this blog may know that I covered this technique in a step-by-step tutorial in one of my earliest posts. I had never done a video tutorial on this technique, however, which is hereby remedied. Tutorial Video https://youtu.be/d5y5f965YAs Links While the basic technique uses only SketchUp's built-in tools, I also demonstrate some of Fredo6's extensions here: Joint PushPull - An extension that lets you thicken any surface. FredoSpline - This is useful for creating smooth curves and converting between different curve types. Curviloft - This lets you "morph" between two outlines. I hope you find this useful...

Modeling a Log House

March 16, 2022February 23, 2024 by Alex SchreyerNo Comments

In this video tutorial I show how useful SketchUp's Solid Tools (especially the Trim tool) are when modeling a log house. The process as shown here makes it easy to create clean log overlaps and door/window cutouts. Of course, the log portion of this is just an example - you can use the technique for much more than that. Note: I am not showing the entire modeling process here, just the basic principles based on two walls. You can easily expand this to other walls and windows, etc. Tutorial Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rokkx7EmZXM Did you design your own log house this way? Let me know below in the comments. ...